Connells Group has promoted three of its most successful regional business heads into newly-created national roles as chief executive David Plumtree’s aggressive business expansion plans continue during its 80th year of trading.

Ian Fry, Giles Hart and Simon Arnes all hail from Sequence’s successful East and Central regional division, which they have grown into the company’s most successful one through a ‘collaborative approach to sharing knowledge, expertise and best practice’, the company says.

Ipswich-based Ian was the region’s managing director while Norwich-based Giles has been its regional director. Both are now to be Group National Operations Directors while their colleague Simon Arnes, who was the region’s divisional managing director, becomes the Connells Group’s Estate Agency Operations Director.

Connells is hoping the trio can replicate their winning formula across the whole company and grow the Group branch network and market share.

“As well as recognising the talent within our company, these well-deserved promotions signal our commitment to strengthening the business and driving forward with further expansion,” says David Plumtree.

All three of the promoted directors are long-standing Sequence employees. Ian joined the company in 1996 as a senior negotiator, Giles as a negotiator in 1999 and Simon as an office boy in 1972.

It’s been a busy year for Connells Group. It has made 15 agency acquisitions so far taking in 57 branches as well as opening of 28 lettings offices.

Connells now has 600 branches around the UK including recently-purchased West Midlands agent Paul Dubberley and Newcastle-based Rook Matthews Sayer. Connells seems keen to brush off any mention of digital expansion and says it wants to strengthen its high-street presence despite buying only-only agent Hatched in November last year, and is hiring aggressively too. The Connells website currently has nearly 250 vacancies across the advertised in a variety of roles and operational areas.